Smoke treatment and control for smoke houses



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SMOKE TREATMENT AND CONTROL FOR SMOKE HOUSES Filed May 2, 19.49

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SMOKE. TREATMENT AMD CONTROL FOR SMOKE HOUSES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1949 BY M Si wu;

Dec, 12, 1950 s. 1L,... GERSHEL,

SMOKE TREATMENT AMO OOMTROLTOR SMOKTJ HOUSES 3 Shee'bs-Sheer. 3

Filed May 2, 1949 INVEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 SMU-QE TREATMENT AND CONTRGL FOR SMKE HOUSES Stanley L. Gcrshel, New Philadelphia, Ohio, as-

signor to Gershel Smoke Equipment Co., New Philadelphia, Uhio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 2, i949, Serial No. 90,922

l Claims.

This invention relates to smoke houses.

An object of this invention is to provide a treating compartment within and through which the circulation of smoke is accurately controlled.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a closed circuit for the smoke within which the treating compartment is a part, the smoke being fed thereinto along the now path from a delivery duct, rises by a combination of natural flow and a draft promoting device7 to a plu A rality of specially positioned and designed ventilators to an outlet duct. The circuit is completed between the outlet and inlet by the provision of a fan and a heating unit as parts thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide and feed a fresh supply of smoke into the circuit by delivery thereof through a wall of the compartment at a point spaced from the inlet and outlet ducts.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an ellicient smoke producing unit supplying the fresh smoke for the compartment, which unit not only produces the smoke out also treats the smoke before its entry into the compartment, to remove undesirable matter therefrom.

And another object of this invention is to provide a smoke circuit which reduces the nre hazard therein, particularly protecting the more costly elements of the apparatus such as the fan and heating units.

And an additional object of this invention is to provide a replacement unit for cleaning the smoke within the smoke producer which eliminates costly shut downs, permitting one unit to be in operation while the replaced unit is being reconditioned.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to the arrangement, operation and function. of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combinations of parts and to economies of manufacture, will be apparent to those slriled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this snecieation wherein like reference char actors designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation. showing an arrangement of component parts of the system including the smoke producer and a food treating chamber;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the food treating chamber of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic showing of a multiple food compart .ent system with the Controls therefor;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the smoke producer;

Fig. 5 is a view from the right of Fig. 4.-;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the smoke producer unit from the left of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a replacement unit for treating the smoke within the producer;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the unit from the right of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged showing of a portion of Fig. 8, parts being broken away.

The. system herein, for purposes of detailed description, may be divided into two maior parts, the smoke producer and the food treating chamber. Interconnecting ducts. controls and heat supplies for the food treating chambers may also be considered as a third subject. For an additional object of this invention is to provide a smoke house system wherein a plurality of food treating compartments may be employed, individually controlled and operated, while all are supplied with smoke and heat from common units within the system and all interconnected with a common control.

A smoke producer lil is provided embodying novel features` which so handle and treat the smoke that a continuing supply of smoke, free from deleterious substances, is delivered to one or more food treating chambers il?. wherein the smoke is circulated and reheated in a predetermined circuit.

The smoke producer The smoke producing unit il? is a sheet metal heXahedral housing with re-door side lli, opposing side i6, fan housing end i3 and opposing end or feeder drive side 2d. This housing has an open top area 22 leading into fuel hopper 24 which tapers inwardly and downwardly as dened by plates 26, 28; rlhe plate to extends partially across the lower region of the hopper 2K! toward the lower edge of plate 2t and provides a lateral discharge opening 35i between the plates for fuel to pass from the hopper into firebox 32 formed by a suitable fire-brick lining 3G.

Selected fuel, such as sawdust, chips and the like are fed into the hopper through the open top 22 and are stirred by a revolving agitator formed with a series of paddles St mounted on shaft driven through chain belt lil from speed reduction transmission unit s2, in turn driven by motor 4d mounted in recess #it within the housing.

The shaft e3 has a second belt connection 48 to shaft 55* which rotates. drum adjacent to and along the discharge opening which drum serves as a valve feed and by means of rile or flight 54 thereaong intermittently discharges a quantity of fuel into the combustion chamber.

This arrangement provides the fuel feeding portion of the apparatus driven from a single source. The fuel is fed onto a fire which is controlled by draft regulator mechanism 5: limiting veniently located at one end of the fire-box and a fire inspection door 62 is placed on the side Iii.

Operation of the damper 56 regulates the smoke production from the reand the smoke passes thorugh vent 64 into the smoke treating unitY 66. This vaporizing device 66 is a built-up unit fabricated from sheet metal to provide a labyrinth therethrough and may be placed into the smoke producer and removed at will forV cleaning and reconditioning purposes. A like unit is inserted during the cleaning operation thereby removing the necessity of shutting down the smoke producer whileV the smoke treating unit is serviced for reuse. This unit ts into a chamber 63 within the producer and is sealed and locked therein by means hereinafter described in detail.

Smoke treating unit This unit 66 receives the smoke from the vent 6d into chamber l0, through which the smoke travels downwardly escaping through open bottom 'I2 into chamber lll. In its downward now, the smoke is washed by passing through spray I6 supplied by nozzle '53 fed through a pipe 80 connected by a union 32 with supply line 31|. In replacing the vaporizing unit, this union 82 allows the Vspray supply to be readily disconnected and reassembled.

Condensation and the wash water carrying the matter removed from the smoke falls onto floor 85 of the chamber 24 which fioor is inclined downwardly toward drain 33. The smoke reverses its ow direction within the chamber M and passes Vtherefrom through aperture 9|! into chamber 62 and continues therethrough in a substantially horizontal path to ow out of the chamber Q2 through opening 91| into fan chamber 96.

The blades 98 of a fan |08 are rotated within this chamber 96 as driven by a belt |02 exterior of the unit 66, extending from motor |66 mounted in a recess |66 inwardly in the unit i6 from the side i8. Differential pulleys |38 on the fan and motor permits a variation of fan speed to determine the pull or suction of the smoke through the unit 66 and its flow rate as it is expelled through aperture Iii! into duct ||2 upwardly extending from the unit to the producer exterior n where it is delivered to duct IM, by which it is delivered to the food treating portion of the system.

The smoke chambers 1I), 14, 92, together with the fan chamber 96 are fabricated into a unit for ready replacement as it is the zone between the re and delivery duct through which the smoke passes wherein the major deposits collect from the smoke. This includes ashes, tars and other products of combustion as well as foreign matter which might be carried from the burner.

The unit chambers are built so that each have an open side permitting easy cleaning. The unit 66 isplaced in its mounting chamber 66 and the open sides of the chambers TIG, U. and 92 are draped and closed by a plate IIS mounted by bolts IB to the housing. Gaskets may be used with the plate or other closures described herein. This plate I I6 extends across the side I6 to cover the smoke chambers and is provided with extensions |26 on either side I8, 20 to provide a substantial mounting. The extension on the side I8 may also engage plate |22 which not only closes the open side of the fan chamber 96 but serves as a mounting for the fan |00.

Inspection ports I 24 may be locatedat various strategic places along the plate I|6 as well as adjacent thereto, for entry into the various sections of the producer which might need at-V The smoke flowing through duct I I4 may be delivered directly to a single chamber I2 or in the employment of a multi-chamber system, the smoke will flow to a manifold |26 fromwhich branch ducts |28 carry the smoke into a plurality of chambers I2.

A duct |28 preferably enters a chamber I2 adjacent the top and at one side thereof out of the direct path of the smoke circuit through the chamber. This feeds a fresh supply to a closed circuit for maintaining the smoke value ofthe circuit.

The smoke circuit has itsentry into the compartments by means of ports |36 in the sides of duct |62 extending lengthwise along the center of the compartment floor |34, and billowsoutwardly and upwardly throughout the entire compartment interior. During this movement, portions of the smoke permeate such food items as may be stacked or hung within the smoke house. 'I'he natural flow of 'the smoke augmented by mechanical means, is withdrawn through anemo- Stats |36 or other suitably baiiled ventilatorsV into outlet duct |38. These anemostats are arranged about the ceiling M6 ofthe compartment in such a manner as to control distribution suction soV the smoke circulates about the entire interior.

The outlet duct |38 extends to fan M2 driven by motor |44 and the smoke is forced by the fan from duct |38 into housing |654 and therethrough to duct |46 and thence back to duct |32. Within the housing |42/ heat exchange units Hi8, herein shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as a pair of steam heated space heaters, reheat the smoke to maintain the desired curing temperatures within the circuit.

The smoke inlet |28 which may be regulated by manually operated damper |56 is delivered at a point remote from the outlets 36. While this arrangement provides ample replenishment, any

possible sparks which might'have escaped the smoke producer or static developed along the path will be extinguished before they reach the duct |36 thereby eliminating a fire hazard to the circulating and heating equipment. The ducts |32 and I i6 are so routed they do not interfere in the loading or unloading of the compartments which open at both ends.

The employment of a smoke producer and a plurality of curing chambers may be arranged for economical operation as for example, the lay-out illustrated in Fig. 3. Herein the outlet ducts |33 from each compartment feeds into a common duct |52 carrying the smoke from all chambers to a heating unit |54 and returned by a manifold |56 Vto the ducts |32. This heating unit may be gas red, the burners controlledV by'a motordriven valve |58 having connections |60 to a control panel or box |62. Lines |64 may also extend from this control to a thermo-couple |66 within each chamber I2. Lines |68 connect motor-driven dampers |18 in the ducts |28 to the panel while lines |l2 connect motor-driven dampers |14 placed within the ducts |32.

Interconnecting mechanisms at the central panel will operate the dampers II, IM in response to the temperatures within the chambers as affecting the couples |56. Each chamber will have its temperature individually controlled by regulation of the dampers in its supply ducts and in event all chambers are cut oi, the valve |58 will automatically close for conservation of gas supplied to the unit |54,

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. lThe language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent:

1. A smoke producer for smoke houses comprising a housing having a rire-box therein, a chamber in said housing open along one side of the housing, a vent for smoke from the nre-box into said chamber, a duct remote from said vent for conducting the smoke from said chamber out of the housing to its place of use, and a smoke treating unit insertible into said chamber through the open side, said unit having an inlet and an outlet to register with said vent and duct and thereby cause the smoke to travel through said unit while said unit is in the chamber.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said unit includes a plurality of chambers therein open in a series one into another forming a labyrinth for the smoke to fiow therethrough.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said unit includes a plurality of chambers therein opening into each other in a continuous series thereby forming a labyrinth passage for the smoke therethrough, and a fan in one of said chambers providing means for propelling said smoke through the unit.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said unit includes a plurality of chambers therein opening into each other in a continuous series thereby forming a labyrinth passage for the smoke therethrough, the rst chamber receiving e; the smoke from said vent having its opening thereinto adjacent its upper region and provided with an open bottom and the chamber receiving the smoke therefrom positioned therebelow to receive the smoke through the open bottom thereby causing said smoke to flow through the rst receiving chamber in a substantially vertically downward direction.

5. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said unit includes a smoke receiving 'chamber apertured to cause said smoke to flow downwardly therethrough, a nozzle disposed in the path of the flowing smoke, and a liquid supply to said nozzle to be sprayed therefrom across the smoke in its downward path.

6. The structure set forth in claim l wherein said unit includes a rst smoke receiving chamber apertured to cause said smoke to flow downwardly therethrough, a spray device for the smoke in its downward path, a second chamber beneath said rst chamber for receiving the smoke, spray and condensation products developed in the unit, and a drain for said second chamber.

7. A smoke producer comprising a housing, a fire-box in said housing, a recess extending inwardly from one side of said housing, a vent from said fire-box into said recess, an outlet duct 'from said recess, a unit insertible into said recess having openings to register with said vent and duct whereby smoke from said vent to the duct will be directed through said unit, said unit including a plurality of chambers therein opening into each other in such a manner as to form a labyrinth path for the smoke therethrough, at

least one of said chambers having a side open toward the housing exterior, and a plate mountable on said housing to lock said unit in the recess and close the open side of said chamber.

STANLEY L. GERSHEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,078,639 Rohrman Apr. 27, 193'? 2,310,222 Deverall Feb. 9, 1943 2,312,339 Jones Mar. 2, 1943 2,380,428 Gillian July 31, 1945 

